The New England Patriots' decision to take Will Campbell with the No. 4 pick of the 2025 NFL draft made perfect sense at the time, but it also came with some risks. As dominant as he was at LSU, Campbell's short arms would pose a challenge at the next level.
De facto general manager Eliot Wolf and his allies ignored the warnings, and they still chose him to be Drake Maye's blindside protector. That proved to be a mistake in the Super Bowl, yet that performance still isn't enough to alter the Patriots' plans.
Contrary to popular opinion — and, to a degree, common sense — head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that the Patriots have no intention to move Campbell to another position.
"Will's 22 years old. He's our left tackle. We're not moving Will to guard or center or tight end, or anywhere else," Vrabel said on Tuesday, via NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry.
While committing to a top-five pick makes perfect sense, given that Campbell wouldn't be the first rookie to struggle, the Patriots might be boxing themselves into a dangerous situation.
Patriots' Will Campbell Commitment Carries a Huge Risk
Campbell and the Patriots were blessed with one of the NFL's easier schedules in 2025, which may have hidden his shortcomings early on. That won't be the case next season, when they'll face the sixth-hardest schedule based on win percentage (h/t @@sfdata9ers).
The Patriots are going to face a much tougher slate of opponents, including elite pass-rushing units like the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and — again — the Seattle Seahawks.
According to NFL researcher Jack Andrade, NFL Next Gen Stats showed that Campbell allowed 14 pressures in the Super Bowl alone. That's the most by any player in the entire season this year, including the playoffs. The Seahawks sacked Maye six times, and he was running for his life on every single dropback throughout the course of the postseason.
If all those reasons weren't convincing enough, there's also a financial factor there. The offseason is literally the best time to move him and help him develop in the interior of the offensive line. Otherwise, he's going to ask for left tackle money in a few years, and he may not be worth that type of top-dollar if New England decides he's better off as a guard or center.
Speaking of which, it won't be a good look for the Patriots if they end up changing their mind after committing to Campbell's position now. Perhaps Vrabel & Co. will be reluctant to admit they were wrong and will keep forcing him to play LT, potentially causing even more offensive-related headaches.
Measurements aren't everything, and we've seen tweeners silence their critics by playing bigger than their bodies. Then again, stats and numbers are often much more than just a reference.
History wasn't on Campbell's side as a left tackle in the National Football League, and even though he showed some promise at times, it's not like his arms are going to get any longer regardless of how much he works out.